Hand grips

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to grips for hand operated equipment, especially golf clubs, in which a shaft or rod portion is covered by a sleeve of an elastomeric or plastomeric material. Tubular double grip structures are extruded or molded. Tubular products having recurring double grip structures are programmed so as to be extruded according to a prearranged schedule. From the double grip structure individual grip sections are cut with a length and outside diameter to meet the needs of a particular individual.

United States Patent 11 1 Sparks 1 51 Jan. 23, 1973 1 HAND GRIPS FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor: William J- Sparks, 5129 Granada1,142,073 2/1969 Great Britain ..273/81 R Blvd., Coral Gables, Fla.33146 22 il d; 21 1970 Primary ExaminerSamuel B. Rothberg App]. No.:99,999

138/DIG. 11; 264/167, DIG. 33; 273/81 R Attorney-Meredith P. Sparks [57]ABSTRACT This invention relates to grips for hand operated equipment,especially golf clubs, in which a shaft or rod portion is covered by asleeve of an elastomeric or plastomeric material. Tubular double gripstructures are extruded or molded. Tubular products having [56]References Cited recurring double grip structures are programmed so asUNITED STATES PATENTS to be extruded according to a prearrangedschedule. 2,308,147 1/1943 Ballagh ..l38/118 ux Fmm the double gripStructure individual grip Sections 2,994,327 8/1961 Otto et a1...l38/D1G, 9 are cut with a length and outside diameter to meet the3,312,766 4/1967 Stevens ..264/167 needs of a particular individual.3,317,211 5/1967 Debski ..273/81 R X 3,606,326 9/1971 Sparks et a1...273/81 R 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures Y x Y HAND GRIPS This inventionrelates to grips for hand operated equipment in which a shaft or rodportion is covered by a sleeve of an elastomeric or plastomericmaterial. The tubular product which forms the sleeve is made byextrusion or molding processes to a predetermined design comprising apair, or multiple pairs, of grip structures.

The needs and desires for size and shape of grips for a given purposesuch as golf clubs, tennis racquets, fishing poles and the like, varywith the individual. Although the description herein, for illustrativepurposes, will be for golf club grips, it is understood that the gripsof this invention finds application in many fields.

A fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to thefollowing description and claims, taken in con 'pnction with theaccompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional golf club in which theinvention may be incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft of a golf club andillustrates the invention being incorporated therein.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a double grip pair.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of extruded pairs of grip structures whichare programmed to a predetermined design.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a cap suitable for holding the gripof a golf club in place.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cap with a plurality of downwardlyprojecting tines for holding a grip in place.

As shown in FIG. 1 a conventional golf club has a head 5 for hitting theball. The head is connected to a shaft 1 which is generally a hollowtube or a solid rod with a slight downward taper from the top of theshaft to the neck of the head. A grip 2 encircles the shaft 1 at theuppermost portion of the shaft for a distance of from about 10 to 13inches for conventional clubs, and sometimes for a longer distance,especially in special types of putters. The grip may be molded at thetop of the shaft so as to close the end, or the top may be protected bycap 3.

In FIG. 2 the shaft 1 of a golf club is enveloped with a sleeve or grip2. Alternatively, the upper end of the grip may be folded over the topof the shaft as shown in FIG. 5 and held in place by Cap 7.

FIG. 3 is a pair of grips in mirror image design which may be moldedtogether in one piece, or extruded as in FIG. 4 and then cut in sectionsto meet the needs of the individual user.

FIG. 4 illustrates a series of recurring units of programmed pairs ofgrips extruded in predetermined dimensions of thickness and length whichare designed to be tapered from the center towards each end. Preferablythese grips are cut in pairs as in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectionalview of a cap suitable for holding the gripof a golf club in place when the end of the grip is folded over the endof the shaft. The top may have any desired shape such as flat, rounded,cupped, and the like. The sides may have substantially the samethickness throughout, or the lower rim of the sides may be thickened forcausing greater compression in the elastomer grip so as to result in afirmer hold on the shaft.

FIG. 6 has a plurality of tines l3 projectin downwardly between the grip2 and shaft 1. Both the cap of FIG. 6, and cap 3 which is located at thetop of the shaft in FIG. 2, are useful for holding a grip which is cut,for example, at x-x' or x"-x" in FIG. 3.

Extrusion is a classical method of forming soft rubber products. Evenwhen cellular rubber is processed by molding and pressure curing, themold blanks are generally made by extruding. The extrusion of tubularproducts having recurring structure may be programmed so that the finalform is produced according to a prearranged schedule. This process hasbeen found to be especially useful in making grips such as those forgolf clubs, fishing poles and the like, where the grip is tapered and ofvarying thickness throughout its length. One example is illustrated inFIG. 4. This linear programming followed by continuous curing isespecially attractive. Dimensions may be maintained during extrusion byslight internal gas pressure. However, the extrusion designed uncuredproduct can be set by vulcanizing in a steam chamber, or even bymolding. In the latter case, the shape and internal stability of theobject is maintained by insertion of a mandril or a rod through the holeof the cylindrical object. The grip may be preset and cut to desireddimensions of length, and thickness prior to vulcanization. This isgeneral practice. However, the tubing is preferably cut in such a way asto produce at least two recurring units in each finally vulcanizedproduct, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The individual needs and desires for golf grips, as one example, vary inlength and in thickness at the two extreme ties. The thickness of thewall of the tubing (which can be measured by the difference between thebore diameter and the outside diameter) varies from about 0.5 mm toabout 25.0 mm. The preferred thickness will vary according to theparticular use and also with the individual. The common practice ofcutting a finished grip to size makes it necessary for the pro-shop toinventory a great variety of different products to meet individual needsfor length and for outside diameter at the extremeties. This need ismultiplied when a number of different colors of grips are kept in stockto choose from.

According to my invention, the grips are made in integral double gripunits, wherein each grip of a single unit is tapered from the centertoward the end to in clude within its length all degrees of length andthickness. Thus, a section of the double grip can be cut to meet therequirements of a particular individual.

This grip is made in at least double grip sections either by extrusionand air cure; or by molding and curing in the mold. Each half sectioncorresponds to one grip. The two half sections are mirror images and aredeliberately made longer and larger toward the center than that of thegrip usually sold. Thus in mounting the grips the operator cuts to hispredetermined length and top section diameter.

By this method, it is possible to satisfy the varying length and sizerequirements of every individual golfer with one two-grip section. This,of course, applies to the soft grips described in co-pendingapplications Ser. No. 773,689, filed Sept. 25, 1968 now U.S. Pat. No.3,606,326, and Ser. No. 62,140, filed Aug. 7, 1970 now U.S. Pat. No.3,638,295, issued Feb. 1, 1972. It is equally applicable to the gripshaving contiguous molding of cap and grip structure.

If it is desirable to produce a tubular grip with offset distortion theinside bore of the rod or mandril is made substantially smaller than thedesired inside bore of the shaft on which the grip is to be installed,with the result that during the expansion of the grip material duringthe vulcanization in the presence of a blowing agent,.

the bore will not close completely, but be distorted in shape and sizeas to give an offset outside appearance when the grip is mounted on theshaft.

Although most experience has been with cellular elastomer, mirror image,recurring structure, dual golf grips, the processes and products areapplicable to all grip structures having recurring patterns capable ofprogrammed extrusions. This is true even though in some cases it may bepreferred to mold a single double grip structure which may be cut withvarying distances from the center and from the ends to produce twopersonalized grips having preselected size, shape, and lengthcharacteristics.

The programming of an extruder can be brought about in any suitablemanner, as is known in the art. For example, the extruder orifice isprogrammed so as to open or close in greater or lesser degree as thetubing is formed to duplicate a series of tubular structures shown inFIG. 4. This programming is brought about by operating from a controlgovernor in much the same way as a key is cut from a blank, using amaster key as a guide.

The preferred composition for the grip is a cellular elastomer having aShore A durometer hardness of from about to about 45. Shore A hardnessis determined with the Shore A durometer in which the probe is forcedinto the test specimen, as set forth in the ASTM Standards on RubberProducts D3l4-39 (1944). However, other types of elastomeric materialsmay be used, such as foamed or unfoamed Neoprene, Butyl rubber,polybutadiene-styrene, silicone rubbers or the like, so long as they arecapable of extrusion forming on a program. The material may also be aplastomer which is elastic and plastic within reasonable temperaturelimitations. A plastic material is one that contains as an essentialingredient an organic substance of large molecular weight, is solid inthe finished state, and at some stage in its manufacture or in itsprocessing into finished articles, can be shaped by flow. Examples ofplastics useful in this invention include polyolefines such aspolyethylene, propylene, copolymers of ethylene and propylene;unsaturated polyesters such as polyacrylates; some fluoroplastics; andpoly(alkylvinyl) ethers. The materials may be cellular rubbers orplastomers, or mass materials.

When individual grips are cut as sections from recurring double grippairs as shown in FIG. 4, the installation of the grip may require theuse of a cap at the top end of the grip and a cup at the lower end ofthe grip to hold the grip in place on the club. Suitable caps for thispurpose are illustrated in FIG. 2, S and 6. The grips may be anchored atthe lower end by any suitable means such as tape, plastic cups, or bywinding with thread, as is well known in the art.

It has been the practice to moldsingle grips having identical weight,thickness, length and shape. lf different sizes shapes and length areneeded it is necessary to have a special mold for each variation. Thisgreatly complicates the manufacture of individualized grips.

However, the really big disadvantage lies in merchandising. The salesoutlet must carry a large inventory to meet the needs of differentpeople. With a double grip, mirror image structure, two grips can bemade by cutting the double grip into two sections. Thus, by

cutting from positions varying in distance from the.

center and from the ends, variable size and length is attained. Theexcess pieces are merely discarded.

Various modifications and variations of the present invention may bemade without departing from the spirit of the discovery or the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim 1. A body member for making tapered grips for the shaft of ahand operated instrument wherein said body member is an elastomer in anon-flowable condition, and has a predetermined design of one or morerecurring units, each unit consisting of an elongated tube open at bothends, having a central bore of circular cross-section and approximatelyuniform diameter, and an outside wall thickness which substantiallydiminishes regularly from a point which is approximately the mid-pointof the length of said tube to points at opposite ends of said unit inthe design, or which substantially enlarges regularly from saidmid-point to said end-points, and a length sufficient for cutting intotwo sections each ten to thirteen inches long, for a conventional golfclub, and the wall thickness of said tubing (measured by the differencebetween the central bore and the outside diameter) varies from about 0.5mm to about 25 mm wherein each said unit contains two tubular sections,and each section thereof can be trimmed to a length suitable formounting separatelyv as a grip for said shaft.

1. A body member for making tapered grips for the shaft of a hand operated instrument wheRein said body member is an elastomer in a nonflowable condition, and has a predetermined design of one or more recurring units, each unit consisting of an elongated tube open at both ends, having a central bore of circular cross-section and approximately uniform diameter, and an outside wall thickness which substantially diminishes regularly from a point which is approximately the mid-point of the length of said tube to points at opposite ends of said unit in the design, or which substantially enlarges regularly from said mid-point to said end-points, and a length sufficient for cutting into two sections each ten to thirteen inches long, for a conventional golf club, and the wall thickness of said tubing (measured by the difference between the central bore and the outside diameter) varies from about 0.5 mm to about 25 mm wherein each said unit contains two tubular sections, and each section thereof can be trimmed to a length suitable for mounting separately as a grip for said shaft. 